


It's Never Too Late

by erintoknow



Series: Fallen Hero Sidestep AU Fanfics [15]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Death, F/F, Murder, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Reveal, dark timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:22:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22183258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: An alternate, more grim villain reveal hypothetical, spinning further off the idea of never encountering Ortega at that diner partway through the game.
Relationships: Ortega/Sidestep (Fallen Hero)
Series: Fallen Hero Sidestep AU Fanfics [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1433116
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	It's Never Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> written at 2am, having fun go full ham on angst, no editing

You reel backwards from the blow, helmet slamming into the corner of the steel beam. Alarm lights crowd your HUD, a spiderweb of cracks threatening to fill your eyes with shrapnel. “Ffffucking hell, shit!” Bit your tongue too. Fuck. Spitting blood you grab into Charge’s shoulder. Knee her in the chest hard enough to hear something crack before shoving her away.

Charge grabs at her chest, face constricted in pain as she struggles to stay standing.

For your part you’re not much better off. Have to grab onto the very beam that cracked your helmet to keep you upright. “What – what do you say Charge? Call it draw?”

She wheezes for breath, glaring up at you. “Like hell. What did – mierda – what did you do with her?”

What?

“What are you talking about you has-been?”

“You know who I’m talking about you cabrón!” Charge raises her fists, re-assumes a combat stance. “What did you do with Ariadne?”

“Ariadne–?” It takes you a second and then the laughter peels out. As unwanted as it is uncontrollable. Is she fucking kidding you? Even now? Even after everything? “You think I _did_ something to…?” You can’t finish the sentence, laughing again. This isn’t real. This isn’t happening.

Ortega bristles, doesn’t drop her guard. “Don’t fuck with me cabrón. She’s already been through enough. Just fucking let her go.”

“You – you want me to… to let her go?” You laugh again. You’re going to fall to your knees at this rate. Fuck. Get it together. “Fucking – _fine._ You want to know? You want to know what The Void has done with your stupid crush?” The way Charge tenses, the slight shift of her feet, your throat seizes and suddenly your speechless.

“Well Cabrón? I’m waiting.”

When you find your voice again, it’s hoarse, pained. The distortion masks the worst of it, hollows it out. “How many times, Charge? How many times does a woman tell you she’s dead before you believe her?”

Charge’s expression only intensifies. “Never. I’ll never give up on her. I don’t know how you sunk your sick claws into her, but I swear, I’m going to make you pay for it.”

You can’t keep standing. Collapse to your knees. Shit. Shit. Shit. With shaking arms you bring your hands up to your helmet. You’ll make her pay for this. You’ll see her suffer for making you feel like this.

For a moment you think Charge might take the chance to attack, but once she realizes what you’re doing she holds back. Still expecting some trick, some fake-out. It would be tempting to do.

But the truth is so much more lethal.

The helmet unclasps and you shake your hair free as you pull the ruined headpiece up and away. “Surprise, Sparkles.”

Ortega’s eyes first narrow, then widen. Her face goes ashen. “What kind of sick joke is this, Void?”

“I’m disappointed in you Julia.” You cough, laugh. “I wasn’t exactly subtle, was I?”

“Knock it off.”

“Oh goddamnit, this isn’t another fucking trick you idiot.”

“The Void’s killed people. They’re a mass murder. Ariadne wouldn’t–”

“Wouldn’t she? Who buried the original Void’s body, Julia? And who stabbed em in the neck?”

Her eyes water, her guard faltering. “No. Nobody else knows about that.”

Charge always was desperate to see the best in you. To push past all the poison ivy. Well not any more. You’ll shove it in her fucking face if you have to. “Do you seriously think that was the _only_ time she’s killed somebody?” You sneer.

“Ari…?”

“Looks like this old lady finally won a Bingo.”

“But – why _?_ How could you–? Ari– Ari please.”

Harden your heart. Don’t let her little emotional ploy get to you. It’s just another trap. Another trick. “They’re using us Julia. They used me. They’re using you. Anything goes, as long as they stay on top.”

She stares, lost. “They? Ari, what are you talking about?”

“Them!” You flail your hands. “The oligarchs! The fucking – the government! The Special Directive! Fucking – They rig elections! They shut down opposition parties! And they’re only getting better at you idiot!”

“What are you talking about? How does that… Ari, how many people have died? How could anything ever justify–”

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO ME!” You scream it out. Heart pounding. Slam your fist into the beam behind you and pull yourself back to your feet. “FIVE FUCKING YEARS ORTEGA!” You want to keep yelling but a wail escapes your lips instead. Nausea pulling at your insides, threatening to pull your legs out from under you again. “I waited for you. For Five Fucking Years. And you never came.”

You take a breath. Control. You have control. Everything. Is. Under. Control.

“Ariadne!” Ortega yells back at you, crying herself now. “I don’t know because you won’t tell me anything! Please! I’m begging you. What the hell happened to you Ariadne?”

Does she really care? Does she really want to know? Could she ever really understand?

“I… I…”

“Ari…”

“They took me away, Julia. They took me away.”

“Ariadne, you’re not there anymore.”

“They strapped me down and cut me open and prodded and hit and touched and felt and talked and watched and watched and watched, and did anyone do anything Julia? Did anyone ever help? Did anyone ever care?”

“I care.”

“Liar.” You spit the word out. Take satisfaction from the way she flinches. “You got drunk and fucked about. Did everything you could to forget what you’d done.”

“What I…? Ari? What are you talking about? I never forgot. Not a day went by I didn’t hate myself for failing you.”

“Liar.” She has to be.

“Ari – Ari, please, you need help.”

“Help?” You stare at her, wild-eyed. “Help!? You want to fucking help me Julia?”

“Please, Ari. We can talk about this. It’s not too late–”

“YES IT IS!” You scream at her, top of your lungs. Control. Stay in control. Come on. “You expect me to believe you think there’s a way back for me now you stupid old woman?”

She stays where she is, but holds out her hand towards you, outstretched. “Ari. _Please_. You need help. It’s not too late.”

You’re crying now. Vision blurred focus gone. “How? How is not too late?”

“You’re Ariadne. You always know the way.”

Shaking you pull yourself back to your feet. “You… really w–want to… to help me, Julia?”

The response is immediate, “Yes.”

“Then kill me.” Jumping forward, you ball your hand into a fist, aimed straight for Julia’s face.


End file.
